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Sunshine Deadline

I bit the bullet. I signed up for the Piano With Jonny Student Recital on Thursday, March 19.

It’s in the middle of the workday, which means I’ll either be working from home with a very strategic “lunch break” or taking the day off entirely. Given how busy things have been lately, I kind of like the idea of a day off.

What will I play?

"You Are My Sunshine," of course!

I’ve known for a while that the only way this arrangement will ever reach the finish line is if I give it a hard deadline. Otherwise, it remains "this fun thing I'm working on" forever. Now it has to become something real. Like the velveteen rabbit.

So I have five weeks to prepare. I think that's enough time.

Thinking Strategically

Last night I divided the arrangement into 13 sections and tried to rate each one from 1 to 5, with 1 meaning “needs serious work” and 5 meaning “performance-ready.” The rating system fell apart pretty quickly, though. Some sections are musically finished but not dependable at tempo. Others are technically playable but still need creative work. A few sections are solid except for one half-measure that refuses to behave.

Here are my 13 sections:

  1. Intro
  2. Verse 1, middle octave
  3. Verse 2, high octave
  4. Interlude
  5. Verse 3, ragtime in middle octave
  6. Interlude, one octave up
  7. Verse 4, stride with rolls
  8. Interlude with rolls
  9. Glissando down + Verse 5, crossed hands in F
  10. Verse 6, crossed hands in Bb
  11. Interlude with crossed hands, key change back to F
  12. Glissando plus Verse 7, ragtime in higher octave
  13. Outro

As I looked at this list last night, I had to laugh. This was supposed to be a simple arrangement of a simple tune. And now it's chock-full of stuff. Ragtime passages. Stride patterns. Crossed hands in two keys. Glissandi for drama. I've grown in my knowledge and skill of ragtime, stride, and general harmony, and this arrangement has grown with me.

And it may still be growing. There may be a 14th section—an improvised solo—but I'll decide about that later. The existing 13 sections will be plenty to work on for now!

The Plan

For the rest of February, the focus is completing the arrangement and getting the notes down solid. I want the entire piece memorized and stable by month’s end. March will be about reinforcement: full run-throughs, recording sessions, playing it when I’m slightly tired, and making sure it holds together under pressure. The aim is familiarity deep enough that recital nerves don't turn my fingers to spaghetti and my brain to mush. 

March 19 is the day. Until then, focus.

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